A team led by Johns Hopkins University engineers figured out how and why human cells move much faster through thick mucus than thinner varieties. The findings could inform and inspire new treatment ...

A 30-year-old woman produced a single mass of gray material from her nose during a particularly forceful sneeze several hours before presenting to our clinic. She asked that the material be submitted ...

Various cells in the stomach secrete digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid. These substances break down food so the body can absorb nutrients. The stomach is a muscular organ in the upper abdomen ...

Mucus coats the body’s internal surfaces, where it acts as a barrier against pathogens and a food source for friendly bacteria. Its main constituents are mucins — proteins studded with sugar molecules ...

David King does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their ...

The winding trail of environmental microplastics leads researchers to the human digestive ecosystem. A series of rodent experiments showed that even with abundant food and water, personal space is ...

A lubricant derived from the mucus of cow salivary glands has shown promise at preventing the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and a herpes virus from infecting healthy human cells. Mucus is a ...

When you're sick you'll often produce more phlegm, and might notice it's thicker or a different color: white, green, yellow or maybe even brown. We all produce mucus, even when healthy. Mucus is a ...

An axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) swims in a tank at the Center for Regenerative Therapies at the Technical University in Dresden, Germany. Antimicrobial peptides are among the most promising ...